Working Towards a Healthier Environment In Richmond: New Commission Has Begun

Richmond Environmental Sustainability Commission Has Begun Meeting

Photo courtesy of Brad Cox, wherethetrainssleep photography

The city of Richmond, Indiana established an Environmental Sustainability Commission, by approval of the Mayor and the Richmond Common Council, in May 2012. Commission members have since been appointed and have begun to meet regularly to promote sustainability, conservation of natural resources, and maintenance of a healthy environment for the City and its residents.

The Commission’s functions include informing and advising the Mayor, Common Council, and the City Government on matters relating to environmental sustainability; helping the various parts of the Richmond city government operate in a sustainable (and cost-efficient) manner; coordinating and promoting public efforts on sustainability issues, including grant opportunities; and facilitating environmental education generally.

The nine-member Commission, jointly appointed by the Mayor and Common Council, includes representatives from a non-profit organizations; business/ industry; city governance; education; youth (high-school age); and utilities. Current Commission members include: Stephanie Hays- Mussoni (Chair), Alison Zajdel (Vice-Chair), Scott Hess (Secretary), Darryl Decker, Denise Johnson, Elise Lynn, Ron Oler, and Scott Zimmerman, as well as non-voting community members Kevin McCurdy, Jared Patton, and Elijah Welch. A youth member still needs to be appointed.

Photo by Karole Passmore, GoWayneCounty.com

The Commission has begun work to help implement Richmond’s already existing goals as a participant in the Indiana CLEAN (Comprehensive Local Environmental Action Network) Community Challenge. These goals include: increasing the amount of walking and bike trails in the city; enhancing collection and disposal of medical drugs in order to improve water quality; increasing plantings of native tree species; collecting and disposing of improperly dumped tires; and reducing chemical contamination of stormwater runoff. The Commission has also begun work to review the Sustainability section of the Richmond Comprehensive Plan and to organize an Environmental Summit of local environmental groups and stakeholders, which will share information and plan further initiatives.

The Commission holds regular meetings on the second Wednesday of each month, open to the general public, at 4 pm in the Community Room of the Richmond City Building.

Richmond citizens should feel free to contact any of the members for community input and suggestions (you can reach Stephanie Hays-Mussoni at shaysmus@iue.edu or Scott Hess at hesssc@earlham.edu).

*Brad Cox is a Richmond native who now lives in Nashville IN. He specializes in unique photography and his porfolio includes weddings, graduation pictures, nature shots, model shoots, and family pictures. Brad is also an organic farmer with land in Nashville IN that he farms and provides produce for local restaurants in Bloomington and Nashville IN. For more information on his photography or farming you can contact Brad at: 812 391 6138.

About the Author

Karole Passmore is a freelance writer who enjoys writing articles and short stories, interviewing local people, and researching non-fiction subject matter– preferably historical. Graduate of RHS, Ivy Tech Richmond, and Earlham College– with a major in History, Karole has spent most of her life in Wayne County and enjoys the quaint atmosphere of a small town.